


Avoiding Niall

by Larry_Klaine_Stylinson



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-16
Updated: 2013-04-16
Packaged: 2017-12-08 17:09:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/763896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larry_Klaine_Stylinson/pseuds/Larry_Klaine_Stylinson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn's been avoiding Niall, and Louis and Harry want to know why. Zayn would really rather not admit that it's because he's in love with the Irish lad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Avoiding Niall

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written as a prompt fill on Tumblr.

The boys had just gotten to their hotel after a long day of interviews and a big concert. Zayn immediately flopped down on the bed, kicking his shoes off and turning on the telly. He rested his hands underneath his head on the pillows and let out a soft sigh, glad to have some time alone.

A few moments later, there was a knock at the door. He groaned, rolling off the bed and slumping off to the door, pulling it open slowly. He rolled his eyes when he saw Harry and Louis standing there.

"What do you two want then?"

"Can we come in?" Louis asked.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Zayn said, stepping to the side and allowing the other two lads into the room.

"You've been avoiding Niall." Harry said bluntly.

Shit. So they'd noticed.

"Don't be stupid." He said, trying not to sound guilty. "Why would I be avoiding Niall?"

"That's what we've come to ask you." Harry said.

"I'm not avoiding him, though." Zayn shrugged.

"Yeah?" Louis asked. "Then why is it that at the past few shows, when Niall comes over to your side of the stage, you quickly run off and sidle up to me or Liam, hm?"

"Dunno." Zayn said. "Maybe he just keeps heading over when I was already planning on moving. It's not really a big deal, lads."

Zayn really didn't want to tell them the real reason. He didn't want them to know. Didn't want anyone to know. Because he'd never planned for this to happen, and he knew nothing would come of it, so why should he tell them that maybe possibly he was kind of sort of hopelessly in love with Niall? It was no use.

"Don't give us that bullshit, Zayn." Louis said. "Something's up. Just tell us what it is."

"Did you two get in some fight we don't know about?" Harry asked.

"No, it...No." Zayn said. "Can we just drop it? I'll stop avoiding him or whatever. I've got no problem with Niall so let's just leave it at that, okay?"

"Zayn, we-"

"Let's just fucking forget it! Honestly." Zayn shouted, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Zayn, something's bothering you." Harry said, sounding less accusatory now and much more worried. "What is it?"

"It's nothing." Zayn sighed. "Please, just leave it alone."

"We're your friends. We're worried." Louis told him. "Has Niall done something to upset you? Because I'm sure he didn't mean it and you should just tell him that-"

"I'm in love with him." Zayn blurted out, clapping a hand over his mouth afterwards, surprised that the words had left his lips.

"What?" Harry asked, sounding shocked.

Zayn shook his head, his hand still covering his mouth.

"No, come on, Zayn." Louis said, taking Zayn's wrist and pulling his hand away from his mouth. "You're in love with Niall?"

Zayn simply nodded, still dumbfounded that he'd let the words come out of his mouth.

"Why don't you just tell him that then?" Louis suggested.

"I can't." Zayn shook his head.

"And why not?" Harry inquired.

"Because...Because I never meant for this to happen. I never wanted to fall in love with him and I don't want...I just don't know what to do. I just want to move on. Hence why I've been avoiding him a bit."

"You can't choose who you love, Zayn." Louis told him. "If you could do you think I would have chosen this idiot?" He asked, pointing to Harry.

"Hey!"

"I think you would have, actually." Zayn gave the two a small smile.

"You know, I think you're right." Louis laughed. "But that's not the point here, Zayn. If your feelings for Niall are affecting you this much you need to tell him, mate. Put yourself in our shoes. What would you be telling yourself to do right now?"

"I'd...I'd probably..." Zayn sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I think he fancies Liam."

"What makes you think that?" Harry asked.

"Have you seen them on stage the past few weeks? Liam's always singing to Niall and Niall's always leaning on Liam and they're sweet together. I wish...I wish Niall and I could be like that, but I don't think that's what he wants."

"You can't very well be like that when you're avoiding him, mate." Louis told him.

"I think he'd much rather be with you." Harry told him. "But you haven't been letting him. He and Liam are just mates. Just best best mates."

Zayn shook his head, "I don't think so, Harry. I really don't think so. There's just a certain look in his eyes when he's with Liam and I just....I know he'd rather be with Li than with me. I can feel it."

000

Niall had gone over to Liam's room, which was next to his, and asked him if he'd like to come with him and get all the boys together and order a pizza and maybe watch a film. It was sort of late, but he wasn't sleepy, and it seemed as if Liam wasn't either, so they went off to Harry and Louis' room, but they weren't there.

They walked down the hall, about to knock on Zayn's door when they heard a conversation going on within. Catching his name, Niall lowered his hand, listening in a bit, which he knew was rude, but people were talking about him. What was he supposed to do?

The lads were asking Zayn why he was avoiding him. Something he'd been wondering for ages now. He pressed his ear to the door so he could hear a bit better, and Liam did the same. They listened as Zayn fumbled for answers, getting flustered and a bit angry, before admitting something quietly that Niall was sure he'd misheard.

"He's just said he's in love with you." Liam whispered to Niall, so low he could hardly hear him from right next to him, so as not to be heard by the occupants of the room.

"No." Niall shook his head.

He couldn't have said that. That would be a stupid reason for avoiding him, because if Niall was honest, he'd been in love with Zayn for over a year now. Why would Zayn start avoiding him just because he'd developed feelings for him? That would be silly.

As he kept listening, though, it was obvious that that had been what Zayn had said, and Niall's mouth was open a bit in shock.

"I know he'd rather be with Li than with me. I can feel it." Niall heard Zayn utter, and his voice sounded so sad, and it completely broke Niall, because that wasn't true at all. Harry was right. Li was just his very best mate.

"Get in there." Liam muttered.

Niall shook his head, nerves filling his stomach, swooping around like angry bats and making him feel ill.

"You're going to regret it if you don't, Niall."

Liam was the only one who knew about Niall's feelings for Zayn. They'd become too much for him to bare in secret a while ago, and so he'd admitted it to the one person he felt closest to, aside from Zayn, obviously, and that was Liam.

"I can't." Niall said, voice filled with a slight terror at the thought of telling Zayn how he felt.

"Mate, there's no chance of rejection here. Get in there and tell him."

Liam opened the door then, pushing Niall inside, and the Irish lad let out a small squeak.

"Shit." Zayn said. "How long have you two been out there? Did you-"

"Niall's just my mate." Liam said, smiling widely.

"I-"

"Shut up." Liam interrupted Zayn with a smile. "Shut up and listen."

Niall walked forward, stopping just a few inches away from Zayn, looking down at his feet and shuffling them about awkwardly.

"Um, Zayn?"

"Yeah, Niall?" Zayn asked, and Niall was nearly sure he heard the other boy swallowing loudly. Nervously.

"I love you, too."

"That's not funny." Zayn whispered.

"It's not meant to be."

"You swear?" Zayn asked.

Niall looked up from his feet, meeting Zayn's huge, beautiful eyes, "I really swear, Zayn. Really."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Niall gave him a small smile.

He's not sure who leaned in first, or if they both moved in together, but suddenly their lips were connected, and Niall could feel Zayn smiling against his mouth, and he smiled, too. He let out a tiny little laugh against Zayn's lips, and maybe that should have been strange, but it just felt right. Zayn bit his bottom lip gently, and Niall wrapped his arms around Zayn's neck, their lips moving together languidly.

"Awww." They heard Harry and Liam coo.

Louis cleared his throat, "Are you quite finished?"

Niall pulled away from Zayn's mouth, chuckling brightly, and Zayn leaned in to peck him on the lips once more.

Niall brought his hand down to Zayn's, linking their fingers together, "Well, now that we've got that taken care of, who wants pizza?"

"Me!" The other four chorused.

Zayn squeezed Niall's hand, and it was all as simple as that, really. Niall leaned over, kissing Zayn's cheek as the rest of the lads fought over what toppings to get on their pizza.

"I love you." Niall told him.

"I love you." Zayn smiled.


End file.
